Editing Snaps

{{Short description|Small shot of a strong alcoholic beverage taken during the course of a meal}}
{{about|the Nordic alcoholic drink|other alcoholic drinks with a similar name|Schnapps|other uses|Snap (disambiguation){{!}}Snap}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2024}}
[[File:Snaps at a sittning (brightened).jpg|thumb|A snaps]]
[[File:Fem män höjer sina snapsglas ute i en trädgård stående vid ett trädgårdsbord med kaffekoppar och flaskor - Nordiska Museet - NMA.0048890.jpg|thumb|Snaps drinking in Sweden, early 20th century.]]
In the [[Nordic countries]], especially [[Denmark]] and [[Sweden]], but not in [[Iceland]], '''snaps''' ({{small|pronounced}} {{IPA|sv|ˈsnaps|}}, {{langx|fi|'''snapsi'''|italic=no}}), among many nicknames, is a small shot of a strong alcoholic beverage taken during the course of a meal.

In Denmark, a snaps will always be [[akvavit]], although there are many varieties of it. In Sweden, ''snaps'' is a more general term for any small amount of "[[liquor]]"; although usually [[brännvin]], it may also be other spirits, such as [[vodka]], bitters/bitter liqueurs, [[whisky]] or [[brandy]] etc. In Norway, a more common name is the synonym ''dram'' (from the unit [[Dram (unit)|of the same name]]).<ref name="ordbokene snaps">{{cite web |title=snaps |url=https://ordbokene.no/nn/snaps |website=ordbokene.no |access-date=2025-02-14}}</ref><ref name="ordbokene drma">{{cite web |title=dram |url=https://ordbokene.no/nn/dram |website=ordbokene.no |access-date=2025-02-14}}</ref> One of [[Finland]]'s strongest alcohol drinks served as snaps is [[Marskin ryyppy]], named after [[Marshal of Finland|Marshal]] [[Gustaf Mannerheim|C. G. E. Mannerheim]].<ref>Uola, Mikko: ''Marskin ryyppy: marsalkkamme juomakulttuuria chevalier-kaartista ylipäällikön ruokapöytään.'' Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 2002. {{ISBN|951-746-385-5}}</ref>

The word "snaps" also has the same meaning as German ''[[Schnapps]]'' ({{IPA|de|ʃnaps|lang}}), in the sense of "any strong alcoholic drink".<ref>{{cite book |title=Norwegian-English Dictionary |last=Haugen |first=Einar |year=1965 |publisher=University of Wisconsin Press |location=Madison }} &nbsp;The definition given is "nip, schnaps; shot (of brandy,<br /> aquavit, etc.)."</ref>

== Culture ==
=== Snaps shanties ===
{{main|Snapsvisor}}
Swedes, Danes and [[Swedish-speaking Finns]] have a tradition of singing songs, called ''snapsvisor'' ("snaps shanties"), before drinking snaps. These songs are typically odes to the joys of drinking snaps. They may praise the flavour of snaps or express a craving for it.

=== Festivities ===
[[File:Kräftor kräva dessa drycker.jpg|thumb|upright|Poster used at the [[1922 Swedish prohibition referendum]], emphasizing that [[crayfish party|crayfish parties]] requires snaps, and thus its banning would kill off crayfish parties with it, depicting a bottle of liquor and a glass for snaps together with cooked crayfish. The text in English: "Crawfishes demand these beverages! You have to forego crawfishes unless you vote no on August 27."]]
Snaps and ''snapsvisor'' are essential elements of Swedish festivities involving food, especially [[Midsummer]] and [[crayfish party|crayfish parties]] ({{langx|sv|kräftskiva}}), which are notoriously tipsy affairs. Dozens of songs may be sung during such a party, and every song requires a round of snaps. However, the glass need not be emptied every time.

=== Nicknames ===
Another subculture are the many nicknames for snaps, some of which might be regional. Some names are heavily associated with certain phrases used in conjunction with snaps drinking.

== See also ==
{{portal|Liquor|Drink}}
* [[Schnapps]]
* [[Drinking culture]]
* [[Moonshine]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|tipsy}}
* [https://archive.today/20090303112750/http://www.aurora.komvux.norrkoping.se/Pedagogical_Web/web_2006/utb7/swedish/Drinking_song.htm Drinking song – snapsvisa]
* [http://spritmuseum.se/start/snapsvisor/sanghaften/ Drinking songs at Spiritmuseum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908034505/http://spritmuseum.se/start/snapsvisor/sanghaften/ |date=2014-09-08 }}

{{Alcoholic beverages}}

[[Category:Swedish cuisine]]
[[Category:Danish cuisine]]
[[Category:Distilled drinks]]
[[Category:Drinking culture]]
[[Category:Swedish distilled drinks]]
[[Category:Swedish words and phrases]]